Comments on: A new side to lean on http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/ Michael Chorost, author of <i>Rebuilt</i>, on cochlear implants Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:43:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Lbk in MA http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-89 Lbk in MA Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:12:12 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-89 I have had mixed feelings about my second implant (right ear), activated 10/2007. My first was activated April 2007. The first time, noise turn to sound, then garbled speech, the words, and within an hour I could hear full sentences. By the next morning I talked to my brother on the phone for twenty minutes without missing a word. This set *very* high expectations for my 2nd implant. I still don't use the phone with my right ear, but I feel like if I forced it to be dominant by doing so, and possibly turned off the left, my brain would adjust and both ears would become more equivalent. My audiologist said most people don't like their second one as much, but I love mine - I just don't want to hear less so I can train it better in the meantime. I am still very tense and frustrated in party crowds - too much noise. I am still not giving up cc and miss some dialog when I go to the movies. I am just starting to try music, but I have to know what is playing in order to recognize and follow it. At a MOMIX show Sunday, the last piece used one of my favorite Talking Heads songs, Burning Down the House, and I didn't know until my companions excitedly asked if I thought that was great. That made me feel like I missed a giant part of the jubilance of the piece - the emotion that would have been special to me. Lately I have been thinking I was more thrilled with my bionics when I didn't try more than speech, and enjoyed the wonders of being able to hear people without seeing their faces. That's an incredible thing, and it changed everything. But still....I want more! I have had mixed feelings about my second implant (right ear), activated 10/2007. My first was activated April 2007. The first time, noise turn to sound, then garbled speech, the words, and within an hour I could hear full sentences. By the next morning I talked to my brother on the phone for twenty minutes without missing a word. This set *very* high expectations for my 2nd implant. I still don’t use the phone with my right ear, but I feel like if I forced it to be dominant by doing so, and possibly turned off the left, my brain would adjust and both ears would become more equivalent.

My audiologist said most people don’t like their second one as much, but I love mine - I just don’t want to hear less so I can train it better in the meantime.

I am still very tense and frustrated in party crowds - too much noise. I am still not giving up cc and miss some dialog when I go to the movies. I am just starting to try music, but I have to know what is playing in order to recognize and follow it. At a MOMIX show Sunday, the last piece used one of my favorite Talking Heads songs, Burning Down the House, and I didn’t know until my companions excitedly asked if I thought that was great. That made me feel like I missed a giant part of the jubilance of the piece - the emotion that would have been special to me.

Lately I have been thinking I was more thrilled with my bionics when I didn’t try more than speech, and enjoyed the wonders of being able to hear people without seeing their faces. That’s an incredible thing, and it changed everything. But still….I want more!

]]> By: Michael Chorost http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-77 Michael Chorost Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:00:50 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-77 Thanks for the comment, Rhonda, I wrote "Shopping for some vowels" partly in response to it. And Laurie, yes, I've been listening to Bolero and other things, but it's too early for me to write about that yet. Thanks for the comment, Rhonda, I wrote “Shopping for some vowels” partly in response to it. And Laurie, yes, I’ve been listening to Bolero and other things, but it’s too early for me to write about that yet.

]]> By: Laurie in TN http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-61 Laurie in TN Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:06:11 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-61 Mike, Your brain is working and has already accepted its new "friend!" Once a person goes bilateral, it is very hard to go back to just one! Keep writing! Have you listened to "Bolero" yet? Mike,

Your brain is working and has already accepted its new “friend!” Once a person goes bilateral, it is very hard to go back to just one!

Keep writing! Have you listened to “Bolero” yet?

]]> By: Jeff http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-59 Jeff Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:01:34 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-59 I'm really enjoying your perspective. Quick question: are you noticing any pitch difference between left and right? Probably the easiest way to test is to listen to some sort of reasonably pure tone with one implant only, memorize it, then switch to the other implant and listen again. I’m really enjoying your perspective.

Quick question: are you noticing any pitch difference between left and right? Probably the easiest way to test is to listen to some sort of reasonably pure tone with one implant only, memorize it, then switch to the other implant and listen again.

]]> By: Rhonda http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-58 Rhonda Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:15:05 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-58 It is so interesting that you wrote, "Still, it sounds so much like language that I’m wondering why my brain isn’t able to decode it. " My son got his second implant a year ago. At first he described what he heard through it as beeps. After a while he said it sounded like language, but he still couldn't "hear" with it. I didn't understand. I asked him, "If it sounds like language, and you know language, then how come you don't know everything I'm saying?" I tried to get him to explain why he didn't understand the parts of things he didn't understand. Do they sound like mumbling? Do they sound too quiet? What? Being only 7 years old at the time, he didn't care to go in depth about it. It's interesting to hear similar comments to the ones he made, but from an adult. It is so interesting that you wrote, “Still, it sounds so much like language that I’m wondering why my brain isn’t able to decode it. ” My son got his second implant a year ago. At first he described what he heard through it as beeps. After a while he said it sounded like language, but he still couldn’t “hear” with it. I didn’t understand. I asked him, “If it sounds like language, and you know language, then how come you don’t know everything I’m saying?” I tried to get him to explain why he didn’t understand the parts of things he didn’t understand. Do they sound like mumbling? Do they sound too quiet? What? Being only 7 years old at the time, he didn’t care to go in depth about it. It’s interesting to hear similar comments to the ones he made, but from an adult.

]]> By: Michael Chorost http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-57 Michael Chorost Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:51:19 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-57 OK, Sam, I rewrote the sentence. OK, Sam, I rewrote the sentence.

]]> By: sam alapati http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-56 sam alapati Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:33:33 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-56 Michael, I was unable to understand the following sentence from your latest blog: "I understood them both without having to work very much to do it; it wasn’t hard." Can you please clarify--thanks! sam Michael,

I was unable to understand the following sentence from your latest blog:

“I understood them both without having to work very much to do it; it wasn’t hard.”

Can you please clarify–thanks!

sam

]]> By: sam alapati http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-55 sam alapati Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:22:09 +0000 http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/01/25/a-new-side-to-lean-on/#comment-55 Michael, Keep the daily blogs coming whenever you get a chance! I've been following your second CI experience keenly and am gratified by your success. I'm waiting for my own(simultaneous) BI in February. cheers, sam Michael,

Keep the daily blogs coming whenever you get a chance! I’ve been following your second CI experience keenly and am gratified by your success. I’m waiting for my own(simultaneous) BI in February.

cheers,
sam

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